Power operated strap dispenser



Jan. 29, 1957 Filed sept. 1, 1951 J. H. LESLIE li POWER OPERATED STRAP DISPENSER 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 29, 1957 J. H. LESLIE n POWER OPERATED STRAP DISPENSER 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 1 1951 Jan. 29, 1957 J. H. LESLIE ll 2,779,410

POWER OPERATED STRAP DISPENSER Filed Sept. 1, 1951 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 3 A C t; t L

an. 29, 1957 J. H. LESLIE u 2,779,410

POWER OPERATED STRAP DISPENSER Filed Sept. 1, 1951 I a Sheets-Sheet 4 5 )8 z i jml Jan. 29, 1957 J. H. LESLIE ll 2,779,410

POWER OPERATEDSTRAP DISPENSER Filed Sept. 1, 1951 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 (dz am s.

Jan. 29, 1957 J. H. LESLIE u 2,779,410

POWER OPERATED STRAP DISPENSER Filed Sept. 1, 1951 8 Sheets-Sheet s lm mm- Jan. 29, 1957 J. H. LESLIE ll POWER OPERATED STRAP DfSPENSER 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Sept. 1 1951 llll||| I l l l l ll Jan. 29, 1957 J. H. LESLIE 11 2,779,410

POWER OPERATED STRAP DISPENSER Filed Sept. 1, 1951 8 Sheets-Sheet a United States Patent F POWER OPERATED STRAP DISPENSER John H. Leslie II, Evanston, Ill., assignor to Signode Steel Strapping Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application September 1, 1951, Serial No. 244,831

4 Claims. (Cl. 164-48) The present invention relates to a novel power operated strap dispenser.

Steel strap for binding bundles and packages and for use in retaining loads in vehicles such as railway cars is usually supplied in coils from which the strap is withdrawn or paid out as needed. The strap coils are frequently mounted on reels, and the strap is pulled or paid out from the outer convolution of the coil either manually or by power driven rollers through which the strap passes.

The chief disadvantage of the conventional dispenser lies in the overrunning of the reel which makes the accuracy of the strap feed undependable and loosens the outer convolutions of strap. Brakes and other devices have been applied to such reels in an attempt to overcome this disadvantage. Such devices in themselves have the disadvantage of being subject to abrasive wear according to the usage which the dispenser enjoys.

The dispenser of this invention feeds or pushes the strap from the center of the strap coil; the outer periphery of the coil is engaged by a coil holder and the coil is rotated in strap feeding direction to feed the strap through a low friction guide. The resistance to the feed-even though slight-tends to tighten the coil turns at the center, and consequently the feeding is much more dependable and satisfactory than from the dispenser which feeds from the outer coil turns.

It is, therefore, the principal objective of the present invention to provide a novel power operated strap dispenser wherein the coil of strap is engaged at its outer periphery and rotated in a direction to feed strap from the center thereof.

Another object is to provide a novel power strap dispenser which feeds strap from the center of a coil lying within a shallow drum which rotates the coil by frictional contact between the inside of the drum and the outer periphery of the coil.

Another object is to provide a power strap dispenser wherein the coil of strap is clamped at its outer periphery and rotated in a direction to feed strap from the center thereof.

Another object is to provide a novel power operated center and feed strap dispenser wherein the strap is held tightly in the coil due to back pressure from the feeding operation.

Another object isto provide a novel power strap dispenser which may be operated to dispense strap in cut portions of any desired length.

Another object is to provide a novel power operated strap dispenser having strap guides ofiering-little resistance to the feed, thus reducing wear on the machine and making more dependable the accuracy of operation in cutting oil the strap in predetermined lengths.

Another object is to provide a novel power operated strap dispenser which feeds strap from the center of a coil having its axes of rotation inclined to the horizontal and at an obtuse angle to the direction in which the stra isfed.

2,779,410 Patented Jan. 29, 1957 A further object is to provide a novel power operated strap dispenser having a single manually operable handle to control the dispensing and strap cutting operations.

A still further object is to provide a novel power operated strap dispenser wherein mounting or changing a strap coil is simple and rapidly accomplished.

And another object is to provide a novel power operated strap dispenser having a safety means to prevent accidental operation of the dispenser during mounting or changing of the strap coil.

Still another object is to provide a novel power operated strap dispenser requiring only a single operator or attendant.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the strap dispenser of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view with a part broken into section better to show the drive;

Fig. 3 is an end perspective view taken from the outlet end of the machine, with parts broken into section better to show the strap drive and reel mounting;

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of one form of coil holder;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the coil holder of Fig. 4 taken substantially along the line 55 thereof, looking in the direction of the arrow;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view of the locking handle for the coil holder;

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of Fig. 6, looking in the direction of the arrows and showing details of construction of the locking handle;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged elevational view of the outlet end of the strap cutter assembly with parts broken into section better to illustrate the cutter construction and operation;

Fig. 9 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the strap cutter assembly taken along the line 9--9 of Fig. 8, look ing in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional View of the outer end of the strap guide and the cutter assembly taken substantially along the irregular line 1010 of Fig. 8, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 11 is a top plan view of the strap guide and horizontal sectional view through the cutter assembly at the strap guide level;

Fig. 12 is a bottom plan view of the strap guide and horizontal cross-sectional view through the cutter assembly at the strap guide level;

Fig. 13 is a side elevational view of the strap guide with parts broken into section better to show the construction thereof;

Fig. 14 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the strap guide, showing the mounting of the guide rollers, taken along the line 14-14 of Fig. 11, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 15 isan enlarged perspective view of the outlet end of the strap guide showing a modified arrangement wherein stripper fingers are used in lieu of guide rollers;

Fig. 16 is a front elevational view of another form of V strap reel or coil holder; and

Fig. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the reel or holder of Fig. 16 taken along the line 17-17 thereof, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, it will be observed that the strap dispenser includes a stand or base A having a strap coil holder B supporting a coil of strap S mounted thereon, a power supply C connected to drive the coil holder B in a strap feeding direction, and a strap guide D adapted to receive the free end of the strap from the center of the coil and direct it toward a cutter assembly E. The strap dispenser is controlled by moving a single operating handle F toward or away from the operator in order to cut off the strap or to energize the power supply C to drive the strap coil holder B in the strap. feeding direction.

- The base A includes a base plate mounted upon a pair of channel shaped skids 22 on which the dispenser may be readily moved to convenient places of use. The power supply C is mounted upon a pedestal 24 comprising a short column '26 having its lower end welded to the upper face of the plate 20 and it upper end cut off at an angle of about to the horizontal and welded to a motor supporting p-late 28. An electric'motor 38 of suitable type is bolted in conventional manner to the plate 28. The electric motor 30 preferably is of the disc brake type developing 2 4 H. P. at 1200 R. P. M. If preferred an air motor may be substituted for the electric motor.

The coil holder is mounted for rotation on a post 32 having its lower end welded to the upper face of the base plate 2% The upper end of the post 32 is cut off at an angle of about 30 to the horizontal and i fitted with a bearing supporting plate 34. A strap reel 36 mounted upon a shaft 38 rotatably journaled in bearings 40 is supported for rotation upon the post 32 and plate 34. The reel 36 is enclosed within a housing 42 composed of a back plate 44 having its lower edge welded to the base plate 2% and supported by the post 32, a curved bottom plate 46, and a cover 48 connected by a hinge 5! to a hinge flange 52 formed on the back plate 4 5. The cover 48 is cut away at 51 to provide an opening between it and the curved bottom plate 46 through which the strap S is pushed. The cover 48 is fitted with -a handle 53 by means of which it is opened and closed and may also beprovided with a conventional catch (not shown) to maintain it in closed position.

The strap reel shaft 38 is driven from the motor 30 by a belt drive comprising a driving pulley 54 mounted upon the motor armature shaft, a driven shaft 56, and a driven pulley 58 mounted upon a shaft 6% of a speed reduction gearing 62. The speed reducer 62 .drives the shaft 38 either directly or through a suitable coupling 63. The 'belt drive is enclosed within a conventional housing 64 supported on a bracket 66 secured to the upper face of the base plate 20.

The motor 39 is energized through a motor circuit having incorporated therein a motor controller 68, a normally open start switch 70 operated in a manner to be hereinafter described from the handle F and a safety switch 72 which is mounted at the top of the panel 44 of the :reel housing 42. The safety switch 72 is of the normally open type and has an operating lever 74 which is contacted by an abutment 76 on the cover 48. When the reel cover is open the switch 72 is open and it is impossible to operate the dispenser,.but as soon as the cover is closed the safety switch 72 closes and the motor circuit is conditioned for operation by the start switch 70. It is thus clear that the switches 70 and '72 are to be considered in series and both must be in closed position before the motor 38 may be energized.

The chucking type strap reel 36 is most clearly shown in Figs. 4 t-o7 and includes a reel disk 80 secured to the hub 82 by means of a plurality of rivets 84. The hub 82 is in turn welded to the outer end of the reel shaft 38. At its outer periphery the reeldisk is provided with six inwardly radially directed slots 86 through which slidably extend chucking pins 88. Each chucking pin 88 has a ea-d 90 at its outer end, a cylindrical bearing surface $2 and an inner threaded part 94. A shoulder 96 is provided between the bearing portion 92 and the threaded end 94. In the particular embodiment of the invention shown, each chucking pin movably mounts the overlapping end of four chucking ring segments 98, there being a total of twelve segments divided into six pairs and each segment being approximately one-sixth of the circumference of a circle. The inner circumference of the segments when in retracted position is just slightly larger than the circumference of the coil of strap S to be driven by the reel 36. Adjacent the outer end of each of the segments 98 is an arcuate slot 100 through which the bearing portion 92 of the chucking pin 88 extends in a sliding fit. The innermost chucking segment of each of the groups of segment ends supported by a chucking pin is separated from the face of the disk by a spacer washer 162. It i clear from the foregoing that the ends of the chucking ring segments 98 may be moved inwardly or outwardly of the plate 80 as the chucking pin moves inwardly or outwardly in the slot 86 thereby contracting or enlarging the area circumscribed by the segments 98.

Mechanical means 104 are provided to move the ring segments 8 to and from strap coil gripping position. The mean 104 includes a pivot plate 186 pivotally mounted upon a bearing block 108 on the shaft 38, and also includes six pivot pins 110 and six reel links 112. The pins 110 have their reduced ends extending through apertures in the plate 106 to which they are welded. The outer enlarged heads of the pivot pins 11d provide cylindrical bearings for the inner ends of the reel links 112, the outer ends of which are aper-tured to fit over the threaded portions 94 of the chucking pins 88. The outer end of each link 112 is locked by means of a nut 114 against the shoulder 96 on the chucking pin 88. The

arrangement is such that as the pivot plate Iii-6 is rotated relative to the hub 82 and the reel disk 85 the link 112 have the radial distance between their outer ends and the center of rotation of the shaft 38 lengthened or shortened. Lengthening this distance moves the chucking pins out- Wardly and releases the chucking ring segments 98 from strap coil engaging position. Drawing the pins 88 inwardly causes the ends of the segments 98 to be drawn toward the center of the reel and to clamp the outer periphery of the strap coil thereby to hold it in strap feeding position. v

The pivot plate 106 is rotated relative to the disk 88 by means of a handle 116 having its inner end welded at 118 to the plate 106. The outer end of the handle 116 is welded to the lower part 120 of a hand grip 122 for the handle 116. The hand grip 122 also includes an upper part 124 having a lip 126 adapted to be engaged against the outer face of the reel disk 80. The two handle portions 120 and 124 are fixed together by a plurality of bolts 128 and 130. The handle plate 124 has an L shape cutout 132 to provide a space for a locking lever 134- whi-ch is pivotally mounted in the space 132 on the bolt The locking lever has at one end a serrated cam face 136 which is biased against the inner face of the reel disk 80 by a spring 138 having its ends confined in recesses 140 and 142 in the handle portion 144 of the lever 134 and handle part 124, respectively. In order that the handle bar 116 may be easily moved relative to the reel disk 80, the latter is provided on its rear face adjacent its outer edge with a handle 146.

When it is desired to place a coil of strap S in the chucking reel 36, the locking hand grip 122 is squeezed to release it from the disk 80 and is moved toward the handle 146, thereby shifting the inner ends of the reel links 112 so that they extend radially of the reel disk 80 and the chucking pins 88 are adjacent the outer ends of the radial slots 86 thus opening up the ring segments 98 to a maximum internal diameter. A coil of strap 3 is placed within the chucking segments 98 and the ban dies 116 and 146 are moved away from each other to move the pivot plate 1'06'in a counterclockwise direction (Fig. 4), thus ofisetting the inner ends of the reel links 112 and shortening the radial distance between the chuck ingpins 88 and the center of the shaft 38. This move ment draws the outerends of the chucking ring segand the spring 138 urges the cam 136 in disk clamping position to lock the chucking assembly in coil gripping position.

Fig. 1 shows that the motor 30 and strap reel 36 are offset relative to the longitudinal axis of the base A at an angle of about 20 so that when the strap is pushed from the center of the reel 36 it will move from the dispenser parallel to its longitudinal axis. The reel has its axis of rotation inclined to the horizontal so that the strap feeding from the center of the coil will emerge with a natural slight twist to lie almost horizontal. So inclining the reel alsoaids in supporting the coil which lies against the face of the disk 80. The reel is, therefore, so oriented that its axis of rotation is inclined to the horizontal at an angle of about 30 and positioned at an obtuse angle of about 110 to the direction in which the strap is fed.

The free end of the strap S is drawn from the center of the reel and manually trained through the strap guide D as the motor 30 is operated slowly to. advance the strap in the feeding direction. Referring primarily to Figs. 1, 2 and 11 through 14, it will be observed that the strap guide D comprises an assembly having a vertically extending pedestal 150 with itslower end secured to a mounting plate 152 adjacent one end thereof; the plate 152 is bolted to the upper surface of the base plate 28. The upper end of the column 150 is cut off at an angle of 22 to the horizontal and the sloping face of the column is inclined inwardly and to the outlet end of the dispenser. This arrangement inclines guide plates 156 and 158 both inwardly and downwardly toward the outlet end of the dispenser and cooperates with the angle of strap feed from the coil. At the outlet end a cutter mounting plate 154 has its lower end welded to the opposite end of the mounting plate 152. The cutter mounting plate 154 is not mounted in a vertical position but is inclined outwardly at an angle of about to the vertical and has its major axis inclined inwardly at an angle of about 20 to the vertical (Fig. 3). The strap S passes between the lower guide plate 156 and the upper guide plate 158, the lower guide plate being somewhat longer than the upper guide plate and being cut offto provide an edge 160 which lies adjacent the strap reel. The lower guide plate 156 is welded to the inclined upper end of the post 150 and both guide plates are butt-welded at right angles to the cutter mounting plate 154. Thus the column 150, base plate 152, the cutter mounting plate 154, and the guide plates 156 and 158 may be assembled as a unit and then mounted upon the dispenser stand. The guide plates 156and 158 are welded to a plurality of spacer blocks 162 having sufficient thickness to space the plates apart sufficiently so that the strap may be guided between the plates with ample clearance at both its top and bottom faces.

The strap is guided between two pairs of strap edge engaging rollers 164. Each roller 164 is provided with acentral peripheral groove 166 adapted to receive the edge of the strap S in a nonbinding manner. Each roller 164 is freely journaled upon an oil impregnated sleeve bearing 170 which is clamped between a washer 172 and the bottom of a circular recess 176 in the inner face of the guide plate 158. A belt 168 having a head 178 engaging the washer 172 and a nut 180 hold the sleeve bearing 178 in place. The rollers 164 bear against and rotate on oil impregnated bronze washers 174. The lower strap guide plate 156 is apertured at 182 to provide a space for the guide roller 164 and to allow the ready replacement of the rollers 164 if the dispenser is to be used with a different width strap. The same strap guide D may be used for straps of varying widths merely by providing the proper rollers 164 having strap edge receiving grooves 166 of proper depth. The shorter the depth the narrower the strap with which the guide may be used.

At its outer end the strap guide has a pair of Wide vertical positioning rollers 184 journaled in the curved bearing ends 186 of a yoke mounting plate 188 secured by bolts 189 to outer faces of the top and bottom guide plates. The rollers 184 insure the proper vertical positioning of the strap S at the outlet end of the guide so that it might properly be fed to the cutter assembly E and between the cutter blades in the manner to be described immediately hereinafter.

In Fig. 15 there is shown a modified vertical positioning device comprising a pair of stripper fingers 190 bolted at 189 to the upper and lower faces of the strap guides 158 and 156. Each of these stripper fingers has an outer curved end 192 directed toward the path of movement of the strap S, and the tips of the curved ends 192 are provided with hardened faces 194, formed of a hardened nonferrous alloy such as that sold under the trademark Stellite. The hardened alloy faces 194 insure that the stripper fingers 190 are provided with a very long life.

The lower roller 184 or finger 199 carries the weight of the drooping portion of the strap which is unsupported between the cutter assembly E and the floor. The upper roller or finger does not contact the strap unless the strap has a certain amount of curvature. The lower roller or finger also assists in stripping the strap end from the cutter should it have any tendency to stick to the cutter after a shearing operation.

The cutter assembly E and operating handle F are best illustrated in Figs. 3, and 8 to 10. (As an illustration convenience the long axes of the assembly E are arranged vertically in Figs. 8 and 10 even though these axes actually are at the angle to the vertical as shown in Figs. .1 to 3.). As previously described, the assembly E is bolted to the cutter mounting plate 154 which is part of the guide assembly D. The cutter assembly comprises a housing 196 formed of an outer plate 198, an inner plate 208, and side spacer bars 202. The plates 198 and 208 and the side spacer bars .202 are secured together and bolted to the cutter mounting plate by a plurality of bolts 204. The cutter mounting plate 154 is provided with a small opening 206 into which the vertical strap guide projects. The rear housing plate 200 is provided with a larger rectangular opening 298 to accommodate a part of the fixed cutter blade mounting and also to receive the outer end of the vertical positioning strap guide and the rollers 184. The outer plate 198 has a rectangular opening 210 in which a movable cutter 212 reciprocates. The blade 212 is secured by bolts 214 to a movable cutter holder 216 which is slidable in the space bounded by the plates 198 and 200 and bars 202 and which has an opening at 218 to accommodate a stationary cutter blade 22!). The stationary cutter blade 220 is bolted to the front or outer plate 198 by a pair of bolts 222. From Figure 10 it will be seen that the strap S projects through the cutter assembly below the stationary cutter blade 220 and above the movable cutter blade 212. The shearing of the strap is accomplished by bringing together the cutter edges 224 on the stationary cutter and one of the diagonal cutter edges 226 of the movable cutter 212. Each of the cutters 212 and 226 has four cutting edges, the mov able blade 212 having four diagonal cutting edges and the stationary blade 22tlhaving fourstraight cutting edges. This insures that maximum life will be obtained from each cutter blade. Changing the position of the rectangular stationary cutter blade and oblique movable cutter blade 220 and 212, respectively, is a simple matter in asmuch as each blade is mounted to its support by a pair of bolts.

The movable cutter holder 216 is actuated by the control handle F which has its lower end bifurcated and welded to a cutter cam lever 228 which extends inwardly between the front and rear plates 198 and 200 and is 238 in the lower edge of the holder 216. The top edge of the cutter cam lever 228 is provided with a recess 240 in which the roller 236 may rest when the handle F is in its inoperative position, i. e. the position shown in Fig. 8.

When the desired length of strap S has been fed from the reel, through the guide D, and between the cutter blades 220 and 212, the operator pulls the handle F toward him or in a counterclockwise direction (Figs. 3 and The cam lever 228 pivots about the bearing 23% to raise the light end thereof, and the cam surface 232 rides against the lower face 234 of the cutter blade holder 216 and then against the hardened roller bearing 236 tomove the cutter 212 upwardly past the cutting edge 224 of the blade 220.

Vertical movement of the movable cutter holder 216 is limited by a cutter spring housing 242 which is bolted at 244 to the upper end of the spacer bars 202. Confined between the cutter spring housing 242 and the upper edge of the holder 216 are a plurality of coil springs 246 which bias the holder 216 downwardly against the cutter cam lever 228. The ends of the springs 246 are confined in recesses 248 and 250 in the cutter spring housing 242 and movable blade mount 216 respectively. At the end of the strap shearing operation these springs 246 return the holder 216 and movable cutter blade 212 to the position shown in Fig. 8, thereby moving the handle F to its inoperative position.

The control handle F is manipulated to energize the circuit for the dispenser motor 3%). The switch 70 mounted on the plate 152 is of the normally open type and is provided with an actuating lever 252, which is movable by a lever 254 centrally pivoted on a pivot bolt 256 be tween the plates 198 and th. The outer end of the lever 254 extends beneath the switch trip lever 252 and t the inner end of the lever 254 extends beneath the lower edge of the cutter cam lever 228 which is provided with a cam surface 253 which engages thereagainst. When it is desired to operate the dispenser to feed strap, the operatorpushes the handle F away from himself thereby depressing the inner end of the lever 254 and raising its outer end to move the actuating lever 252 to the dotdash line position of Fig. 8, in which position the switch 70 is closed.

To provide some resistance against which the handle F is moved to energize the motor 30, a spring biased piston plunger 26t) slidable in a cylinder 262 acts against the handle F when it is pushed away from the operator. A spring 264 confined between the inner end of the piston plunger 26d and a pin 266 extending diametrically through the cylinder 262 biases the piston plunger outwardly. The movement of this plunger in its outward position is limited by a transverse pin 268 which is slida ble in a slot 270 in the piston Wall. The cylinder 262 is welded to a mounting plate 272 which is bolted at 274 to the upper face of the cutter spring housing 222. When the handle F is in its inoperative position (Fig. 8) the piston plunger 26!) will be at its extreme outer position and the pin 262 at the outer end of the slot 27d. The switch. closing movement of the handle F is limited by contact of the handle with the cutter assembly E.

A brief description of the operation of the power operated strap dispenser of this invention follows. With the coil of strap S mounted in the chucking reel 36 and the free end'of the strap extending through the guide D and between the side binding strap rollers 164, the dispenser is ready to dispense strap. The operator standing next to the dispenser and before the handle F pushes it away from him, thereby depressing the cutter cam lever 228 and raising the outer end of the switch trip lever 254 to close the motor start switch "iii and energize the motor circuit. The motor Stldrives the strap reel in strap feedingdirection at a speed of between and R. P. M. to dispense: strap at a rate'between 225 and 445 feet per minute. This speed is such as to allow the operator properly to gauge the length of strap as it is fed from the dispenser onto the floor. It might even be convenient for the operator to have a series of lines or marks on the floor so that he will know just exactly the length of strap fed from the dispenser as it feeds outwardly. When the proper strap length has been fed from the dispenser, the operator pulls the handle toward him, moving it to the neutral position (Fig. 3) to allow the switch '79 to open itself and break the motor circuit. The motor 30, being of the disk brake type, stops very rapidly, but the inertia of the strap reel and strap coil produces a coast of about one-quarter of a reel revolution. The handle F is then pulled through its next range of movement toward the operator to actuate the movable cutter blade 212 to shear the fed out strap portion from the coil. This strap feeding and shearing operation is repeated until the proper number and size of strap lengths are produced.

When the coil of strap S has been exhausted, it is replenished by opening the cover 48 of the strap reel housing 42 to gain access to the reel 36. When the cover is opened the safety switch 72 opens to break the motor circuit thereby insuring that the motor 30 cannot be inadvertently started while the operator is placing a fresh coil strap S in the reel 36.

The operator grasps the handles 122 and 146 (Fig. 4) to move them toward each other. Squeezing the hand grip 122 releases the locking cam 136 and the handle bar 116 may be moved in the direction to move the chucking links 112 into radial position relative to the disk 86. A fresh coil of strap is placed in the reel 36 and against the disk which partially supports it. The handles 122 and 146 are moved away from each other until the chucking ring segments firmly grasp the outer periphery of the coil in locking position. Releasing the hand grip 122 allows the spring 138 to move the locking lever 134 into clamping position to clamp the outer periphery of the reel disk 80 between the serrated cam surface 136 and the lip 126. The free end of the strap is withdrawn from the center of the coil of strap and trained through the guide D between the two pairs of guide rollers 164. The cover 48 is closed thereby closing the safety switch '72 to condition the motor circuit for a subsequent dispensing operation. The dispenser is now ready for use.

Figs. 16 and 17 illustrate a second form of reel or coil holder 280 which takes the form of a shallow drum comprising a circular back plate 282 welded at its periphery to a narrow cylindrical wall 284. The back plate is riveted at 286 to a hub 288 which is welded to one end of a drive shaft 290. The hub 288 and shaft 290 may be identical with the hub 82 and shaft 38 ofthe chucking type reel 36. At its open side the drum reel has a coil retaining bead or lip 292 generally triangular in cross section welded to the edge of the cylindrical wall 284. The lip is chamfered to remove the sharp edges.

The drum reel 280 is mounted in the dispenser in the at the bottom of the drum and behind the tip 292. The

coil diameter is of course somewhat smaller than the inside diameter of the open end of the drum at the lip or bead. Strap from the center ofthe coil is trained through the guide D and cutter assembly E as previously described.

When the power supply C is energized drum reel 280 is driven in the strap feeding direction, and the coil rides on the bottom'of the drum, there being sufficient friction developed at the contact point between the cylindrical wall 284 and the coil to rotate the coil and feed strap out from the center thereof. Any tendency of the coil to unwind-particularly 'near its exhaustion pointis limited by the cylindrical wall 284 and any such unwinding does not prove objectionable as it merely increases the area of frictional contact, and the back pressure on the center coil convolutions is adequate to maintain the coil sufficiently tightened.

As the operation of a dispenser provided with a drum reel 280 instead of a chucking type reel 36 is substan tially the same, the operation description will not be repeated. It is obvious that it is somewhat easier to place a coil strap in the drum reel than in the chucking reel.

While preferred embodiments of the strap dispenser constituting this invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent that numerous variations and modifications thereof may be made without departing from the underlying principles of the invention. It is, therefore, desired by the following claims to include within the scope of the invention all such variations and modifications by which substantially the results of this invention may be obtained through the use of substantially the same or equivalent means.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

l. A dispenser for feeding metallic strap from a coil of strap comprising in combination a rotatable strap coil holding open face drum mounted to support a coil of strap for rotation and having the inner surface of its cylindrical wall frictionally engageable with the strap coil to rotate the coil to feed strap from the center thereof, a motor connected to drive said drum in strap feeding direction, a strap guide for guiding the strap laterally and vertically, said strap guide having an inlet adjacent the open face of said drum to receive strap from the center of the strap coil and having an outlet, a cutter at the outlet from said strap guide having a movable cutter blade and a stationary cutter blade between which the strap is fed, a motor control means, and a single manually movable handle for operating said motor control means and for operating said cutter to cut the strap into lengths, said handle being movable in a first direction from a neutral position to operate said motor control means and being movable in a second and opposite direction from said neutral position i to operate said cutter.

2. A dispenser for feeding metallic strap from a coil of strap comprising in combination a rotatable reel for holding a coil of strap by its outer periphery, a motor connected to drive said reel to feed strap from the center of the coil so that resistance to feed tightens the coil convolutions, a strap guide having opposed strap guide rollers engageable with the opposite edges of the strap for locating the strap laterally and wear resisting means at its outlet end to locate the strap vertically, a manually operable cutter at the strap guide outlet having a movable cutter blade and a stationary cutter blade between which the strap is fed, a motor circuit including a motor operating switch, and a single control handle which when moved in one direction from a neutral position operates said switch to close said motor circuit and when moved in another direction from said neutral position actuates said I cutter.

3. A dispenser for feeding metallic strap from a coil of strap comprising in combination a rotatable reel for supportably engaging a coil of strap at its outer periphery, a motor connected to drive said reel to feed strap from the center of the coil so that resistance to feed tightens the coil convolutions, a cutter having a movable cutter blade and a stationary cutter blade between which the strap is fed, a strap guide extending between said reel and said cutter and having means for guiding the strap laterally and vertically a motor control means, a single manually operable pivotally mounted handle for operating said motor control means when pivoted in a first direction from a neutral position and for operating said cutter to cut the strap into lengths when pivoted in a second direction from said neutral position, and means retaining said handle in said neutral position.

4. A dispenser for feeding metallic strap from a coil of strap, comprising in combination, rotatable means for supporting a coil of strap and engaging its outer periphery so as to rotate the coil to feed strap from its center, power means connected to said rotatable means for driving said rotatable means in strap feeding direction, a stationary linear guide means having an inlet fixed relative to the rotational axis of said coil supporting means for receiving strap from the center of the strap coil, said guide means having an outlet, means controlling the operation of said power means, means adjacent said outlet from said guide means for cutting the strap into usable lengths after it leaves said guide means, a three-position pivotally mounted handle, said handle being pivoted to a first position to actuate said power means and being pivoted in the opposite direction to a second position to operate said strap cutting means, and means biasing said handle to a third and neutral position between said first and second positions and from which it may he pivoted to either of said first and second positions.

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